


And I Will Knock At Your Door For Another Hundred Years

by Proskenion



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drowning, Fabrizio De André, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Song Inspired, la canzone di marinella, lot of fluff but it definitely hasn't a happy ending, throbb - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 15:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17852498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proskenion/pseuds/Proskenion
Summary: Theon and Robb loves each other through all summer, but with autumn wind and rain comes the tragedy.





	And I Will Knock At Your Door For Another Hundred Years

**Author's Note:**

> Hi my lovelies !  
> This fis has been inspired by the song La Canzone di Marinella by Fabrizio de Andrè. The title is an almost direct translation of a line from the song. I really hope you will love it. Though it doesn't have a happy ending, there is still, I hope, a lot of fluff along the way.  
> Also, again, no one proofread it except me so there are probably many mistakes I missed, so feel free to tell me in the comments and I'll fix them.

They met at the beginning of summer. The land was brushed by a warm breeze and everything felt slower under the heavy sun. The dry grass felt burned and the trees looked like motionless rocks, their slightly trembling leaves being the only proof that they still belonged to the living vegetable kingdom. 

Robb had escaped his family’s attention and fled to the small spring in the forest he loved so much, as he often did. He loved walking there alone, running between the trees while following the butterflies and birds. He would then quench his thirst in the clear water of the spring before going to walk barefoot in the fresh stream nearby, jumping from rocks to rocks. That’s all Robb has always known, the blissful pleasure of outdoor playing before going back to the warmth of his loving family. He was happy and had never dreamt of anything else. 

That particular day of summer, though, when he arrived at the spring, someone was there. It had never happened before and Robb froze, highly surprised and slightly upset. He looked at the stranger with inquisitive eyes, without a word. A boy, probably of the same age than him or a bit older, with long dark hair and tanned skin. He wore a dark purple jacket which was a bit worn out. When the boy noticed Robb’s presence he smiled and said, « hey. »

« What are you doing here ? » was Robb’s answer and he felt bad when he realised how rude it should sound. But the other boy kept smiling and said, « well, I was just having a drink. The weather’s terribly hot here, isn’t it ? » And as Robb didn’t say anything the boy resumed, « I’m Theon. Theon Greyjoy. What’s your name ? » 

« My name’s Robb Stark, » Robb answered, feeling a bit more comfortable already. « I’ve never seen you before, » he added. 

« That’s because I’m from Pyke, you know, the fishermen village near the estuary ? » Robb’s eyes immediately sparkled with interest and fascination. The boy lived near the sea ? So many questions flowed in Robb’s mind, who was dying to know how it was, living by the sea, how it felt, how the sea looked like, but instead he asked, « did you walk here all the way from Pyke ? » which, he realised, sounded quite silly, and Theon’s small laugh made him blush. « Yes, I did, » Theon answered. « And where are you from ? »

« Winterfell. It’s not far from here. » 

« Gosh, Winterfell ? I didn’t realised I went that far in the lands. » The boys kept quite for a while after that. But before the silence became awkward Theon asked, « well, wanna walk down the stream with me for a while ? » Robb looked at this boy he didn’t know and who came from the sea, and with a huge smile and without knowing shy, he accepted the offer. 

The boys talked and talked and talked while walking side by side in the running stream. Robb asked Theon all the questions he had about the sea, and Theon answered to them enthusiastically. The sea was gorgeous and terrible, at times calm and still and at times violent and dangerous. Her deep blue was mesmerizing, and Theon loved to swim and play in the waves at twilight. Robb was full of wonder, and he confessed sadly he never even went far enough to see the river. « Why is that ? » Theon asked. 

« My mother forbids it. And – I can’t swim, » Robb admitted, timidly and a bit shameful. 

« I shall teach you, then, » Theon said with a smile, which put a smile on Robb’s face too. Robb then talked about his parents and his numerous brothers and sisters, and he noticed that Theon smiled looked less radiant and got tinted with sadness. Theon reluctantly answered Robb questions about his own family, only saying he had two brothers and a sister, and that they were all – as everyone in Pyke – fishermen. Then they noticed the sun was already down in the sky, and it was time to say goodbye. « Where can I find your house in Winterfell ? » Theon asked. 

« It’s up the main road, » Robb asked, surprised. « You can’t miss it, there’s a huge statue of a wolf near the entrance. »

« And where’s your room ? »

« My room ? » Robb repeated, even more confused but not thinking of asking for further explanation. « It’s the second window on the first floor, on the left side of the house, near the old oak. »

« Alright. Be careful tonight. I’ll knock three times. » And after giving Robb one last huge smile, Theon ran along the stream and quickly disappeared between the trees, leaving Robb intrigued and strangely happy. 

Robb couldn’t fall asleep that night. But when midnight rang at the village bell tower he started to think he had misunderstood Theon’s intentions. Just a couple of minutes afterwards, though, he heard three distinctive knocks at his window. He turned to see Theon’s face looking at him with a smile. Robb jumped out of bed and ran to open the window. Theon was sitting in one the old oak branch and he asked Robb to follow him, offering him his hand to hold. Once again, Robb complied without a second thought, without any more reason than because he wanted to, as genuinely as he had followed the birds and butterflies in the forest so many times. 

They ran together to the spring again, hand in hand, and when they reached the spring they kept running along the stream. Robb’s heart was racing from the run but Theon’s laugh kept him running without asking questions. They run and they run, and while running they laughed, and they only stopped when the stream was too large to be called a stream again. Robb, breathless, looked in wonder as the river, the actual river, spread in front of him. Theon laughed happily at the expression of wonder on his friend’s face. Then he started to take off his clothes and walked to the water. « Come on, » he called Robb.

« What are you doing ? » Robb asked, blushing at Theon’s nudity and relieved that it was too dark for Theon to noticed his awkwarness. « Do you trust me ? » Theon asked back, smiling and offering Robb his hand again. The question struck Robb and with a sweet smile, he nodded. He took off his clothes, forgetful of his slight disconfort, and joined Theon in the water. 

Robb felt insecure and awkward, and while walking carefully on the slippery pebbles under his feet, he still couldn’t manage not to fall. But Theon was there to catch him before he could really fall in the water. « There, I got you, » he said, and Robb smiled. « Take my hands, » Theon offered, « we will walk together. » So Robb took both of Theon hands and they walked like that, Theon walking backward and Robb grasping his hands firmly, until the water reach their hips. Theon guided Robb so they could sit together in the water, and when they were fully immersed except for their heads, Theon whispered, « maybe you can let go now. » And so Robb did, but with a small heartache he didn’t understand. 

After bathing together for a while, always staying where they could easily touch the bottom, Theon guided Robb again so they could go out and lie side by side on the pebbles on the river shore. The sky was clear and the night was cool, and a light breeze brushing their wet skin would make them shiver. They looked at the moon, lying on their back side by side, and their hand touched slightly without them minding. « Thank you, » Robb whispered. Theon turned his head to look at him. Robb felt his gaze on him but didn’t move. « You look tired, » Theon said. 

« I’m not, » Robb answered, though his eyes were begging to close and sleep. And as he could still feel Theon’s eyes on him, he couldn’t resist more and he looked back at him. They looked into each other eyes and Robb felt his heart racing when Theon smiled and put one of Robb’s auburn curl behind his ears. Robb swallowed, a strange sense of yearning he had never felt before spreading in his chest. And when Theon close the distance between them to put a soft kiss on his lips, Robb felt like his chest was opened wide to allow his heart to fly away. 

It was almost dawn when Robb went back to his room, and he was feeling himself at the dawn of a new life, for after what happened that night he would never be the same. 

Theon and Robb secretly met almost every night of summer, and sometimes during the day too, running together to the river where Theon tried to teach Robb how to swim as he had told he would. Sometimes Theon couldn’t come, because he had to go at sea with his family, and those time was the longest nights and days both of them had ever known. But their reunions afterwards would just be even sweeter and strongly felt. There was laugh and there was kisses and more, and soon the summer ended to leave room for autumn wind and rain. But nothing, especially not the change of season, could stop the two boys to meet for their secret, stolen moments of love, carefree and completely unaware that they were living their last days of happiness before the tragedy to come. 

One morning Theon was woken up by his sister. He must have slept only a couple of hours, and he could tell at the light in his room that it was still very early in the morning. « Hurry up, » his sister said, « father wants to see us. » Theon moaned but got up anyway. When Theon arrived downstairs he was greeted by his eldest brother mocking tone, « there is the sleepy beauty ! » Theon ignored him. He was used to his brothers mocking him, and worse. « Good, » his father said, and everyone went silent and attentive. « Now that we’re all here, listen to me. A storm is coming from the land, I can feel it. We have to leave now, otherwise we’ll be stuck ashore for too long. Get yourself ready, all of you. » 

« What do you mean, we have to leave now ? » Theon repeated, suddenly completely awake. « We weren’t supposed to leave before tomorrow. »

« And now I say we leave now ! » his father answered sharply. « Are you deaf ? Or are you just completely stupid ? »

« It’s just – I can’t – » 

« You can’t ? » his father cut him short. « I’m not asking for your opinion, Theon. So now you shut your mouth and you’ll do as your told, do you hear me ? Another word from you and I swear I’ll kick you out of this house and leave you to die in the streets ! Now go get yourself ready, and you better be quick ! » Theon swallowed back his anger and obeyed, his heart heavy in his chest. They will be at sea all day and all night, at least, and he had no means to let Robb know. It never happened before, Theon had always warned him when he had to go fishing with his family, and he knew Robb would felt betrayed and abandonned, and the thought was killing him. But what could he do ? Going against his father, that was impossible. 

Robb waited and waited that night, and he kept hoping that Theon would come. But the night came to an end and Theon wasn’t there, and Robb felt like his heart had turned into a burning stone in his chest, aching and too heavy to bear. When the first light of dawn pierced the sky, Robb knew what he had to do. He opened his window and sneaked out of his room as his has done many time before, except this time he was alone. He ran down the main road to the forest. 

He hadn’t reached the spring when the rain started to fall, and the wind rose while he was going down the stream. When he arrived near the river, where Theon and him had spent most of their nights since they first met, the wind was blowing more than ever and the black sky was only brightened by flash of lightening. It was daytime for hours now, but Robb had known nights way brighter than it was now. The river, that Robb had known so calm, was now boiling, unchained by the violence of the weather. He was soak wet, shivering and teeth chattering, but he stood there with a stubborn frown. Theon wasn’t there. He had genuinely hoped to find him on his to the river, or at least, waiting for him here. But he wasn’t, and after the excruciating sadness he had felt while waiting in his room, Robb suddenly felt overwhelmed by anger. He walked until the edge of the river, the water crashing on his shoes, and he called Theon’s name. He called and he called again, but the only answer he would get was thunder roaring back at him. And after waiting for what felt like an eternity, Robb turned away to leave. 

But his feet slipped on the rocks beneath, and this time Theon wasn’t there to stop his fall. 

Theon and his family came back just time to avoid the storm at sea. The day was almost done and as soon as he was free to go, Theon ran to Winterfell, careless of the storm. He arrived long after twilight and climbed the old oak. He knocked three times at Robb’s window, but no answer came. He knocked again before looking more carefully inside, and realised the room seemed empty. He frowned and climbed down the tree. 

He ran to spring, and along the stream to the river. The wind had stopped and the rain was just a thick drizzle by the time he reached their usual place. He called and called again for Robb and there was so trace of him. So, eventually, as the day was starting to break, Theon walked back to Pyke, battered and desperate. 

When he arrived at the village he started to hear the rumours. There had been an accident. A corpse had been found the day before, near the mouth of the river. A boy, from a village upstream. And Theon knew. He knew, though he wouldn’t believe it, though he couldn’t fully comprehend it, he knew what had happened. Robb hadn’t believed Theon able to forsake him, and he had gone to the river to look for him. And Robb was unsteady, and wasn’t a good swimmer, and the flow had been too strong. Theon knew, but he wouldn’t believe it to be true. 

He ran back to all the way to Winterfell, her an like he had never run before, and when he arrived up the main road he didn’t go for the old tree but instead rush to the house door. He collapsed into and stroke the door with all his strength again and again. « Robb ! » he called desperately, his voice breaking. « Robb ! Open the door, Robb ! It’s me, Theon ! I’m here now ! Robb, open the door ! » But no one answered and he kept hitting the door and calling Robb’s name, unaware of the warm tears running down his cheek. 

« What do you want ? » a sharp voice came from above him. Theon looked up and saw an old lady stretched out of window. « Go away ! Haven’t you any respect ? This family’s mourning ! »

« What do you mean, mourning ? » Theon asked, still unable to accept what his heart knew to be true.

« Go away ! » repeated the old lady before shutting the window. Theon stood there in complete shock, short of breath and in tears. « Robb ! » he called once more, hitting the door again with his two fists. Then he surrendered, desperation washing over him, and he glided against the wood until he reached the ground where he stayed curled up, sobbing violently, excruciatingly. 

Theon stayed there at the door for hours, crying to the point of exhaustion. And he came back, day after day, everyday. There was nothing he could do that would make the memory of his love fade away, nor would his guilt of having abandonned Robb and left him to die stop to torment him. And the rumours say that even now, if you pass the ruins of what was once the village of Winterfell, you will hear him knock at the door and the wind carry his sobs, as he still calls Robb’s name.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading !


End file.
